There are an enormous variety of fluids used in our society, many of them toxic. Every day these fluids are transported by truck or rail through our cities. Accidents occur with alarming regularity, many of which result in a rupturing of the fluid tanks.
The procedure followed when there is a ruptured tank is to rush an alternate tank to the scene and transfer the fluids to the alternate tank. This procedure is not always practical. A transfer of fluids takes time, and when toxic substances are being released into the atmosphere in a heavily populated area human lives are placed at risk. Placing a patch over the rupture in the fluid tank is rarely considered a viable option, as fluids escaping from the rupture tend to impede or prevent the placement of the patch.